How Directing Ads, Including One With Nancy Kerrigan, Prepared Craig Gillespie to Make I, Tonya

The director still shoots commercials in between his films

Long before he directed I, Tonya—one of this year’s most critically-acclaimed films, which opens in New York and Los Angeles on Friday—Craig Gillespie spent more than a decade making commercials, including a 1992 Campbell’s Soup ad for BBDO featuring Nancy Kerrigan.

Gillespie, who continues directing ads in between films like Lars and the Real Girl and Million Dollar Arm, revisited the early ’90s ice skating world for I, Tonya, his biopic about Kerrigan’s rival Tonya Harding. In this Adweek video, he looks back on his career and reflects on the differences, and similarities, between making commercials and films.

Jason Lynch is Adweek's TV/Media Editor, overseeing trends, technology, personalities and programming across broadcast, cable and streaming video. Formerly TV Editor for People magazine, he has been covering the TV and movie industries for two decades.